We're excited to celebrate the recent growth in our faith community, with 18 new members joining us on Sunday, September 17th, bringing our total to 21 new members since June. This joyful expansion reflects the welcoming and inclusive spirit that defines OSLC.

What truly distinguishes OSLC is our strong sense of community, interwoven with a tapestry of ministries that connect us in purpose and service. Among these ministries, the Matthew 25 Ministry shines as an embodiment of our commitment to making a positive impact on the world.

Every week, our dedicated volunteers come together to prepare and deliver 170 bag lunches to individuals facing food insecurity in Robbins and Southern Pines. It's a testament to the power of unity, with various roles within the ministry - from shoppers sourcing food supplies to the delivery team ensuring that these essential meals reach those in need. Since its inception in 2015, the Matthew 25 Ministry has provided over 31,500 lunches, showcasing the profound impact a connected community can achieve.

But our ministries go beyond Matthew 25; they form the threads of our closely-knit fabric. We are a connected community, rich in purpose and service:

• Youth Confirmation Class: Our youth program lays the foundation for young minds, guiding them on their faith journey.
• Children's Sunday School: We nurture the spiritual growth of our youngest members, helping them understand and embrace their faith.
• Mid-Day Worship: Join us on Wednesdays at 12:15 for a tranquil service, providing a peaceful sanctuary for reflection.
• Wednesday Night Programming: These activities bring our community closer together and deepen our spiritual connections.
• Involvement with Family Promise: We support Family Promise, a nonprofit organization that assists mothers and children temporarily displaced from their homes. Our contribution includes providing evening meals and overnight hosting.

At OSLC, our growth is not just about numbers; it's a testament to the love, support, and interconnectedness that define our faith community. We are bound by faith, dedicated to service, and thrilled to witness our community flourish!

As we celebrate our growing OSLC family and the vibrant community that defines us, if you've been contemplating joining our journey of faith, don't hesitate to reach out to Pastor Frank. We look forward to welcoming you with open arms and open hearts. And for those who may have missed this event, keep an eye out for another exciting New Member Sunday coming in December!

This summer as we are enjoying the stories of the Kings of Judah during our weekly worship services, I've been doing a lot of reflection on the kingdom of God. Many of us have heard these words for a lifetime - Kingdom - of - God and have perhaps not given much thought to what these three words mean. It's churchy sounding stuff that may not resonate with us very deeply, if at all.  Some among us bristle at the masculine sound of the words as though it is simply one more example of the perpetuation of the deep-seated patriarchy that clutters the inclusiveness of the gospel. Since we live in a country that liberated itself from the far reach of British monarchy in the 1700's, the fact that we even continue to mention kings at all seems out-of-sync with our culture despite the popular American fascination with the lives of people like Prince Harry and Megan Markle. So just what is the kingdom of God?

Father Richard P. McBrien in his little book "What is the Kingdom of God" puts it this way: "We can define the kingdom of God as the redemptive presence of God. This redemptive (or saving) presence of God can be found in everyday personal experiences. Whenever people love one another, forgive one another, bear one another’s burdens, work to build up a just and peaceful community—wherever people are of humble heart, open to their Creator, and serving their neighbor—God’s redemptive and liberating presence is being manifested. God’s kingdom and loving rule are in operation there."

When we look at the scripture, particularly the four gospels of the New Testament, the Kingdom of God is clearly shown to exist wherever Jesus is. In his public ministry, we witness the redemptive work of God active through the redemptive presence of Christ.  Where Christ is, redemption happens. It is for this reason, Jesus frequently says to those he encounters "the kingdom is near." When the kingdom is near, healing happens, miracles happen, the unexpected happens, and the Lordship of Christ is made manifest in real time with real people.

That word Lordship is also another key to unpacking this phrase. When say the oldest confession of faith in the New Testament, "Jesus is Lord", we are saying Jesus is the sovereign ruler of our lives. At the heart of this confession of faith, we are saying Jesus is King with a meaning that far transcends human-centered notions of biological gender.  And it is this Lordship of Jesus that sets us free to be people of God, citizens of the Kingdom of heaven. As citizens of Christ's Kingdom we are called, sent and empowered by the Holy Spirit to be about Kingdom work in all areas of our lives so that the kingdom of God comes near to the world Christ died to save.

As a congregation we have adopted a mission statement that centers our work on the Kingdom of God.  We are joined together on a mission to activate the Kingdom of God. That means bringing the redemptive work of Jesus into the lives of real people, amid real circumstances, with real outcomes that can only be attributed to the presence of Christ among us.  As a community of faith, let us always be mindful of why we are here and what our purpose is. For when we are mindful of the kingdom of God and being citizens of this kingdom, things happen. Good things in Christ.

The quest for answers to life questions lies at the heart of every human being. What's the meaning of life? What are our origins? Who am I? What is my purpose? and Where do I belong? When explored deeply, these questions often lead us to other questions, such as "Where is God in all of this?" or "Does God even exist?"

The world around us offers some inadequate answers to these questions. It is now in vogue to claim there is no ultimate meaning in life. The only thing that matters is to enjoy things the best you can - eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. Manage to acquire as much material happiness as you can and shore up as much material security as you can, because money and things never let you down like people and life often do. In a world that is ultimately meaningless, it doesn't really matter what we do, does it? What we accomplish or don't accomplish is all temporary. If in the end it all falls away, why bother? Why do we even care about things like our origins, our purpose or belonging if there is no point other than making the best of it, having the best ride we can, and postponing the inevitable as long as we can. Unfortunately, this is the perspective of a growing number of people in the world.

It's easy to see why some may adopt this mindset. Life is difficult. Even in the most affluent country in the world, people face a host of challenges, some emotional, psychological, physical, economical, or even spiritual. At times, even in a place of affluence, the meaning of life can evade us. When we have our sustenance needs met and most of our aspirational desires met, we may still struggle to find a sense of meaning. What the best things in our lives may tell us is that luxury does not guarantee security or even meaningfulness. Our greatest blessings may expose the hole left in our hearts that is meant to be filled only by God.

For those awakened to their essential need for God, there comes the question, "Where is God?" and "How do I find a spiritual path with God that is authentic?" or "What does this path look like?"

The Lutheran path of Christianity offers signboards for the discovery of an authentic walk with God. It is not a cardboard cutout that can be applied to every life in exactly the same way. God created every person as a unique event of grace with all the peculiarities, oddities, and specialities that our Creator intended for each of us. But the Lutheran expression of Christianity possesses gospel seeds that when planted in our lives and nurtured, begin to grow and reveal our authentic path with God.

These gospel seeds do not belong to the Lutheran church or any other church, for that matter. They do not belong to we humans at all. They are the manifestation of God and God's work in our lives made real by the God who created us and who sent his Son to walk with us to show us the Way amid a world of meaninglessness.

The seeds imbedded in the Word of God are first a person, Jesus Christ. Secondly, they are mediated to us through the preaching and  witness of those who have gone before us. They are imbedded and carried in the Word of God that we call the Bible. And they are imbedded in the common elements of water, bread and wine that we meet in the visible and tangible Word of God, the Sacraments.

The Lutheran expression of Christianity stewards these seeds to all who seek answers to life's great questions. And the persons who receive and use these seeds do not necessarily need to belong to a Lutheran community. How they will grow in each individual life or community is God's business and God's work. However, the spreading of gospel seeds is our work. For that reason, we at Our Saviour now offer you a course in Authentic Christianity, a podcast available on all major podcast platforms. It is available on the Our Saviour Lutheran Church mobile App as well that is available free of charge at the Apple App Store, Google App Store, and Amazon App Store. Lastly, it is  also available for web streaming at www.oursaviouronline.org. I hope you will listen to this course and find  a deeper appreciation for the gospel seeds that the Lutheran expression of Christianity offer you as you seek your authentic path of meaningfulness with God.

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to Israel for a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to Jerusalem, the holiest city in the world. On the top of the holy mountain that is Jerusalem three Abrahamic religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam have coexisted uncomfortably since the fifth century. Evidence abounds in this historic city of the diverse ways people of faith have sought to approach God. Not surprisingly, on the site of major events of the Bible and Koran churches and mosques have been built as shines. Places like the Temple Mount sport Jewish, Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Muslim structures. The evidence of classical Western religion is everywhere in this high place. Walking the streets of Jerusalem, one is constantly reminded of the power and abiding presence of God. That said, it seems impossible that anyone visiting Jerusalem could come away unmoved in their faith.  The pilgrimage was a high water mark in my faith journey and has left me forever positively changed.

On the last night of the pilgrimage, the host of our group asked each of the thirty pastors in my tour cohort to describe a holy moment in their walking journey across Israel. "What moment in this pilgrimage stands out as the most impactful experience of this trip?" he asked.  Pastors around the room shared intimate moments and spectacular moments they enjoyed. When it was my turn my mind was awash with flashbacks of incredible sites, sounds, flavors and aromas of Israel. My heart remembered cherished conversations with newly formed friendships with those on the journey with me. My legs, feet and back reminded me of the hills and valleys I had traversed and the shortened nights of sleep I had survived. My tightening belt reminded me of the delicious mediterranean cuisine I had devoured. Yet, amidst the plethora of prompts I was receiving from my mind, body and heart, my mouth professed an answer to the question from somewhere deep in my soul. "Praying in the garden of Gethsemene was the most  life-changing moment for me." I said. "Knowing that I was praying where Jesus prayed on his way to the cross. That was it for me.  Jesus' prayer of 'not my will but thy will be done.' That prayer reverberated through me at Gethsemene."

Frankly, I was surprised that the Gethsemne visit affected me that much. During my pilgrimage I had renewed my baptismal vows by water immersion in the Jordan river, I had touched the place in Bethlehem proported to be where Jesus' manger stood, I had touched a stone from Golgotha where Jesus was crucified, I had knelt at the marble slab where Jesus' was laid in the tomb of the resurrection, I had prayed at the Wailing Wall of Herod's Temple, I had stood where Abraham was commanded to sacrifice Isaac, I had riden a boat on the Sea of Galilee where Jesus' public ministry occurred, I had floated in the Dead Sea, I had gazed upon the Aleppo Codex, the oldest and most complete version of the Hebrew testament ever found. Each of these experiences were superlative spiritual experiences.  However, the feeling of Gethsemene and the Jesus prayer of the garden held me, immersing me with a heart of faith.  This was the faith that inspired people of diverse cultures and time periods to embrace Jerusalem as home, ther place of the abiding presence of God.

I shall ever be grateful for the opportunity to travel to Israel and encourage all people of faith to make a pilgrimage there at least once in their lifetime.  Returning home, I know I'm not the same person who departed for Israel. The resonance of Gethsemene and everything I encountered in Israel will forever remain in my heart, mind, body and soul. That I may live and the people I serve may live Jesus' Gethsemene prayer daily until Christ returns will from this day forward be my prayer. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. Amen. 

Pastor Frank traveled to Israel February 20th - March 2nd for a pilgrimage of study along with 29 other pastors of various theological traditions from across the United States. He was the only Lutheran and one of two pastors from North Carolina on the trip.

During his journey, Pastor Frank visited the holiest sites of Christianity, including the mount of transfiguration on Mount Tabor as seen in the picture from the Church of the Transfiguration above. During the ten-day stay, the pastors read scripture, prayed and learned about the key locations where the story of Jesus happened. Pastor Frank was powerfully moved by the experience.

“Traveling with an ecumenical group of clergy from widely divergent faith traditions could have been problematic,” said Pastor Frank, "but the spirit of koinonia (christian fellowship) amongst the group was astounding. We embraced one another simply as followers of Jesus. Walking the streets of Jerusalem with Hasidic Jews, Muslims, and Palestinian Christians all around, people who mingled frequently and seemed to get along with each other was another unexpected surprise. During our stay, there was political unrest at the Keneseret (the Israeli center of government) and a border skirmish was occuring in the West Bank, but the general experience of tolerance and mutual respect amongst people of faith gave me hope not only for the church but for the world. Israel is a beautiful place that changed my life.”  

Pastor Frank will provide a slide show presentation on his trip in coming months.

Our awesome confirmation students hosted a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper this week. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to serve and build relationships with the congregational members. We can’t thank our members for coming to uplift these young people who are doing such important work as they build their faith! We also thank all those who contributed to providing the delicious food. The only thing better than the food was the fellowship!

Friends In Christ,

I write to you as the newly installed President of our church council. I feel blessed to be a part of this congregation as it looks forward to Re-Forming itself as each generation since Martin Luther has done. Each generation has made the Gospel anew in the context of the world’s current moment and communicates in a language for others to hear the YES of God in Jesus for the world. Our Saviour Lutheran Church stands on the shoulders of our founders and the generations of Lutherans before them.

Over the past three years our congregation followed a deliberate process to define our identity and language for our moment. Those efforts came to fruition with the council approval of values in August 2022 and new mission statement approved by the congregation in November 2022:

Our mission:
“Activating God’s Kingdom with integrity through engaging, educating, and responding”

Our values:

1. Word Centered Worship
2. Discipleship
3. Training and empowering lay leadership
4. Community relevance
5. Relationships

As Council President I will endeavor to lead your council and our congregation in guiding our current programs and ministries into alignment with our mission and values. I look forward to seeing new programs and ministries that embody our mission and are guided by our values. The Café process that became the foundation for our mission and value statements also envisioned our facilities as being the “hub” in which and from which we Activate God’s Kingdom.

I am grateful to this year’s council members who prayerfully accepted your call to lead our church and whose support you, with God’s help, pledged during the council’s installation.
Joining me on council are:

Tiffaney Flack – Vice President
Angie Board – Treasurer
Simon Lussier – Secretary
Amy Hill
Jonathan Ward
Bob Landaas
Sean Ramirez
Libby Carter
Heather Lussier
Tim Haley
Barbara Vainio

I have provided a broadly defined vision for the council’s work this year. As the council gathers each month we will define and refine our programs and ministries that activate God’s kingdom within our church and community. We will announce opportunities for parishioners to engage with others in our programs and ministries. We will educate parishioners for kingdom work. We will provide opportunities for parishioners to respond to the needs of God’s people.

This is my first of periodic messages that I will send to the congregation to inform parishioners of key council activities and decisions; and to encourage you to become fully vested in our mission to Activate God’s Kingdom with Integrity.

Let us share in God’s Peace,
Doug Garrell

By Barbara Vainio

In the middle of the Moore County blackout last week, when most of the congregation members and Our Saviour itself were without power, the Matthew 25 Ministry still found a way to package and deliver meals to our partner in Robbins. Although Robbins never lost power, the people who depend on us for lunch each week still needed to be fed.  Matthew 25, led by Amy Hill, contacted the folks in Robbins to be sure they still needed our help. Not only did they still need our lunches, they also asked for any additional meals we could provide.

The Matthew 25 team came to the church, which had neither heat nor light, earlier than usual so they had daylight to work with, made sure the food we had was still good and packaged the lunches. They drove on roads that had no traffic lights both to the church and partway to Robbins and were able to deliver 100 meals to our partners.
 
Sharing the blessings that God has given our congregation during a crisis is just another example of how Generous the members of Our Saviour are.  Thanks be to god.

The Preschool Christmas Dinner & Program was a huge success! We celebrated with over 200 friends and family the true meaning of Christmas. As always the wonderful preschoolers delighted the crowd! Our OSP staff does such an amazing job helping them to feel loved and shine! Many thanks to all those from Matthew 25 in helping provide a special meal, the proceeds of which were split between the Preschool and our Matthew 25 Ministry which provides food for people in need.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year….

….or so the old song goes. Yet it doesn’t always feel that way. Sometimes it is marked with loneliness or missing a loved one who has passed on. And the often-hectic nature of the season can pile on more challenges and stress. The good news is – there is hope.
Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace – to be exact.

Let’s make this Advent season one to set aside time to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. The four-week God With Us series will help us place our focus on the greatest gift ever given – and to experience his presence in our lives today.

Here's a short video that shares a little more about where we will be journeying over the next few weeks:

By Amy Hill

Involvement in Matthew 25 has given me a front row seat to witness the generosity of our Our Saviour. The ongoing volunteer and financial support of our feeding ministry has filled my heart with pride and joy. Matthew 25 began in early 2015 as we started providing weekly lunches to food insecure individuals in the Robbins community. During the past 7 years teams of OSLC disciples have picked up and stored donated food items, shopped for lunch supplies, made sandwiches, packed lunch bags, and delivered lunches to pickup locations.
 
Covid 19 brought a 10 month pause in our ministry. As we searched for ways to assist those in need during the pandemic, Pastor Copeland encouraged us to remain patient and alert for opportunities to help our community. In January 2021 veteran and new disciples joined together to restart Matthew 25. Since the restart volunteer and financial support have increased, grants money has been obtained, a second pickup site has been established, and the number of lunches has increased to 150 per week.

To date Matthew 25 has provided over 36,000 lunches to those in need and provided fun and fellowship for our helpers. Our congregation’s generosity of time and treasure exemplifies God’s work, our hands.

So, I'm a life-long multigenerational Lutheran. What that means is I can trace my North Carolina Lutheran ancestry in Caldwell and Catawba County back six generations to the time when white settlers arrived on the occupied lands of the Cherokee and Catawba.  Knowing that my ancestors were a part of the movement of Europeans into Western Carolina that displaced native people is not something I'm particularly proud of, but knowing that I stand in the line of over two hundred years of Lutheran presence in North Carolina gives me great joy. For ours is a rich and important story of the arrival of the gospel of Jesus Christ to American soil.

As a person springing from a traditional North Carolina Lutheran tree, there have been times in my journey when I have given in to pride over my tradition.  After all, wasn't it this tradition that set off the Reformation? Wasn't it this tradition that brought hymnody in the language of the common people to worship? Wasn't it this tradition that brought the historic catholic mass into participatory reach of the laity? Wasn't it this tradition that challenged the over-reach of ecclesiastical authority with regard to limits placed on access to the most sacred aspects of the faith? What's not to be proud about?

And yet, I realize, there should be limits placed around pride with most things, especially ecclesiastical things.  As rich as the Lutheran tradition is with regard to being a time tested witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ, there stands the risk for life-long Lutherans like myself to worship the tradition instead of worshiping that to which the tradition has been pointing for nearly 600 years, namely Jesus Christ.  Worshiping an ecclesiastical tradition like worship of anything other than the Trinity is clearly idolatry by biblical standards. Thus, the scripture teaches us to beware of pride in all things, as pride carries the swell of idolatry in its underbelly.

So how can we be truly Lutheran while avoiding the idolatry of tradition worship? First, recognize that Lutheran is not a style, a sacrosanct monolithic way of being or even a way of praying or practicing the faith.  Even proud Lutherans sport diversity of style, being and approach. There is not just one way to look like a Lutheran, sing like a Lutheran or be a Lutheran.

Amidst our diversity, we simply need to affirm and practice three core beliefs - to be Lutheran:
Sola Fide (By Faith Alone): “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” (Romans 1:17). Faith is much more than simple belief. It is trust and love, a relationship with Jesus. Luther’s explanation of the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed points out: “I believe that by my own reason or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, and sanctified and preserved me in true faith…”
Sola Gratia (By Grace Alone): “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from ourselves; it is God’s gift…” (Ephesians 2:8). Grace is being reconciled with God and neighbor, not by what we have done, but by what God has done for all of us through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone): “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that all God’s people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The belief that the Bible contains what we need to be reconciled to God and live righteously was important to the reformers. Scripture is above all other authorities, including the Church and tradition. Ultimately, for Martin Luther, the Bible was the ‘cradle’ of Christ.  

Hopefully, this provides a brief insight into how to be Lutheran without worshiping our tradition. This rich heritage in the three Lutheran commitments, courtesy of the Reformation provide the secret sauce for what makes us identifiable as a people.

Blessings,

Pastor Frank

By Doug Garrell

I have been absolutely amazed by the generosity of our church. In 2021 the summer camp team asked Our Saviour to cover all expenses for summer camp so that any child in the Sandhills area could attend day camp regardless of family financial ability to pay tuition.

Through congregational generosity 32 kids attended 2021 day camp at reduced or no tuition and, most significantly, the summer camp program is now a financially self-sustaining program. Watching the fun and excitement of the kids in camp the last two summers reminds me that generosity is at the core of Our Saviour Lutheran Church.

Heather Lussier has been participating in something called "Ink-tober" where artists will create an ink drawing every day during the month of October. She was inspired to create a variation on that theme and developed a "God-tober Faith Drawing Prompts" to be used as a devotional for anyone in the congregation. Each day has a different word and you're invited to draw, photograph, paint, or otherwise create something that connects to the prompt.

We'd love to see what you are inspired to create. Share with us via email or by posting on social media with the hashtags #godtober and #oursaviouronline

Share your recipes, stories, celebrations, photos, tutorials, or recommendations with the Our Saviour community through our new Life Together column. Simply email us to share!

By Barbara Vainio

When the Worship & Music Committee was beginning to plan for Our Saviour’s Easter service this year, the topic of Lilies was discussed. The idea to replace the traditional purchase of lilies with donations to Lutheran World Relief to help the people of Ukraine. The donations could still be made in honor or memory of someone and would be displayed in the lobby for people to see who was being honored.

We had no idea if the congregation would like this idea and if they would support it.

We made the announcement during the church service a couple of weeks before Easter Sunday, being sure to tell everyone that we would still have some lilies on the altar so that the church would still look like Easter.

We had more donations than we’d had the previous year for Easter lilies. People stopped in the lobby to look at the beautiful cross constructed by Simon Lussier that held the donation sheets folded to look like flowers. In 3 weeks we received more than $3500 in donations Lutheran World Relief. I’m pretty sure we never had $3500 donated for lilies!!

Once again the generosity of Our Saviour's members made a difference to people. We will probably never meet them but that didn’t matter. We just wanted to make their lives a little better.

What should we do for Christmas?

Share your recipes, stories, celebrations, photos, tutorials, or recommendations with the Our Saviour community through this new Life Together column on our website and in the weekly E-news. Simply email us to share!

Several people who ate this wonderful Thanksgiving/Christmas side dish at one of our Wednesday fellowship meals asked for the recipe for this Scandinavian dish. It’s so good (and easy) to make you’ll probably want to eat it all year round.  You might even want to share it with all your friends.

“Gifta”
Evie Brassie

1. Prepare cranberry relish according to directions on fresh cranberry package. I add the zest of one orange to 2 bags of cranberries.
2. Whip one pint heavy cream, ½ tsp vanilla and ½ cup powdered sugar till stiff peaks form.
3. Barely crush 1 sleeve salted saltine crackers (don’t want tiny pieces) and drizzle with ½ cup to ¾ cup melted butter. Toss to coat.
4. Begin layering in glass bowl: cranberries, whipped cream and cracker crumbs. The deeper the bowl the more layers you will have.
5. Finish with cracker layer on top. Chill to serve.

This needs to be made right before serving.

Download the recipe.

This is a reminder by one of our founding members of God’s call to the people of Our Saviour Lutheran church. It’s also an opportunity to remember God’s guidance and generosity to us for the last 60 years. How will we expand that generosity? What will the outcome of Our Saviour’s story be?
 
“My memory comes from way back, back to the time Our Saviour was still just a dream and our membership was so very small. The church met on Sundays at the Southern Pines Civic Center and services alternated between visiting ministers. As a church, we had nothing much to call our own.
 
What we did have, however, was the beginning sense of being a church family, and the bonds between early participants grew very quickly.
 
As the Christmas season neared, we were all so very excited--we were actually going to have a Christmas Eve service, a Lutheran one! Imagine the joy as plans were made to sing all the familiar carols, even if the accompaniment was on a creaky old upright. The service went off as planned, with newly discovered Lutherans filling the rows and the old timers delighted to welcome them in.
 
When the service ended, no one rushed for a car; instead we gathered around and enjoyed the simplest of refreshments and continued to share the joy of being Lutherans together. And for all of us who were children at the time -- an orange and a candy cane to take home.
 
A Lutheran Christmas had truly come to the Sandhills!”
 
by Libby Carter

The Church Council of Our Saviour spent a weekend in retreat this past summer to determine the present and future direction of our ministry.  Starting with the mission statement derived several years ago, the Council engaged in prayerful conversation about how to fulfill our mission in Southern Pines and beyond. The mission statement of Our Saviour is: To activate the kingdom of God with integrity, by educating, engaging and responding.  The purpose of the Council retreat was to determine the core values that will direct our decision-making.

The Church Council selected five key values that will guide our ministry.  The five values are:

WORD-CENTERED WORSHIP
As a congregation we will be guided by the value of Word-centered worship. Within the Lutheran theological tradition, we understand the Word of God to have various aspects that all point in one direction. We believe and teach that the Word of God is the Written Word or the holy scriptures. At the very heart of our worship is the witness of the Bible. But we also believe and teach that the Word of God is also the Spoken Word or the preaching and teaching of law and gospel.  We also believe and teach that the Word of God is the Visible Word or the sacraments of baptism and holy communion where we meet the means of grace. We also believe and teach that the Word of God is the Missional Word, namely the called out people of God or church whose purpose is to share the Word in speech and action. All of these expressions of the Word of God point in the direction of the Living Word which is Jesus Christ Our Saviour and Lord.

DISCIPLESHIP
As a congregation we will be guided by the value of discipleship amongst those associated with our ministry. According to Jesus' last discourse in the gospel of John, a disciple is someone who chooses to follow Jesus.  Following Jesus implies more than a mental ascent to believe something about Jesus. It involves every aspect of a disciple's life, their mind, body and soul. It touches every aspect of a disciple's life, including how she uses resources, relates to other people and to God. To be a disciple involves more than church attendance and religious activity. It is a matter of the losing ones life for the sake of the gospel to live fully in the Kingdom of God.

RELATIONSHIPS
As a congregation we will be guided by the value of relationships both within the gathered community of faith and outside the community of faith. Since faith is all about relationship, first with God and second with neighbor, this value will lead us to place a priority on bringing people together and introducing them to each other and to Jesus Christ. Every aspect of our ministry will be designed to support and encourage growth in relationships, both with people we already know and those we we will know in the future.

TRAINING AND EMPOWERING LAY LEADERSHIP
As a congregation we will be guided by the value of training and empowering lay leadership. When God called the church into being, he called some to be pastors, but God also called lay people of every known vocation to be leaders for the sake of the gospel. Every Christian by baptism is called to a holy vocation as a member of the Body of Christ. The professional ministers of Word and Sacrament are called to equip the saints for the work of ministry.  Our commitment to grow the core of lay leadership in our community is a part of our fulfillment of the larger missional call of the church.

COMMUNITY RELEVANCE
As a congregation we will be guided by the value of community relevance.  As a church we are called to be in the world but not of the world. What that implies is that we are to be a people engaged in the community in which we live. We exist as a community of faith not for our own purposes only but to engage the community around us with the liberating work of God. There are myriad ways in which we as a congregation will rise up to accomplish this in relevant ways. This implies meeting the community where it is instead of requiring the community to come to us and to meet us where we are. It implies going beyond the walls of the sanctuary to be a modern church of relevant ministry.

Guided by these five core values, we as a congregation will clarify our priorities and put our hearts and souls behind our mission.  The fulfillment of this mission will require the participation of every member of our assembly. Gone are the days when we can assume someone else will do our part in activating the Kingdom of God.  Each one of us has a part to play guided by the five values just stated.

Two weeks ago, I began a sermon series on Living Kingdom Values.  This series is designed to bring the values described above into our worship where we may embrace the path of our future with the prayerful help of the Holy Spirit.

As we embark on this newly clarified direction in our ministry, I hope you will join us, support this ministry, and celebrate with us the activation of the Kingdom of God in our midst.

Blessings,

Pastor Frank

Thanks to the generosity of the Our Saviour members forty people had a more blessed Christmas than they expected.  They chose either a single adult or a small family from the Christmas For Moore program and purchased at least a home gift and a personal gift for each person plus a gift card to enable the recipients to purchase food for a holiday celebration. Children received at least one toy. We had a very generous donor who supplied $400.00 worth of gift cards which insured additional unexpected blessing.

While the recipients were happy with their gifts, an additional blessing was in seeing the joy on their faces when we delivered the gifts at their homes!! It really made me think of the song which speaks about us "being the hands and feet of Christ".

This program has been a regular with OSLC over the years, but even through covid when we made modifications, we were still able to share Christmas joy with our community! We look forward to continuing this tradition in 2022. Be on the lookout for the notebook in the near future if you want to participate!!

Submitted by Catherine Sigmon-Mitchell

When I was discharged from the hospital after my knee replacement in May, one of the items I received was a pouch to tie on my walker. I even got to pick out the pattern on the bag.

I didn’t think much about it until I go home and realized how difficult it was going to be to do things for myself. Luckily, I had a good friend who stayed with me and was willing to get whatever I needed. However, it didn’t take long for me to want to do some things for myself. That’s when I realized how important the walker bag was.

I could exchange the book I’d finished reading for a new one just by putting them in my bag. I could put a couple of cookies or pieces of chocolate into a plastic bag and treat myself after I did my 15-minute walk (and believe me I deserved that treat; walking was really hard!!). I could carry my phone with me and still have 2 hands free to navigate with the walker. I could be at least a little independent and not feel so helpless.

When Sandy Zimmer showed the congregation the walker bags the Sewing Camp participants made for people at First Health, I felt so happy that Our Saviour’s generosity of time, talents and treasure would help other people feel less helpless when they needed to use a walker.

Thank you Sandy and all the campers.

- Barbara Vainio

Last year Our Saviour’s members identified “Activate God’s Kingdom” as our mission. The Call Committee was asked by all the candidates we interviewed what that means. We told them that Our Saviour’s members are aware that God’s Kingdom is already active, and we see our mission is to make as many people aware of God’s work in the world and in their lives as possible. This is one example of how we’ve done that.

The Bandura family was forced to flee their beloved Ukraine after Russia bombed and invaded. They had never left their small town until they fled to Poland in February. They found out about the USA's U4U program (United for Ukraine), which expedited their refugee status and approval to enter, and they found a safe haven for their family of five in Whispering Pines, NC. They desperately want to start a new life, to find a church, to find jobs, to enroll their children in school, and to learn English. They are kind, shy, hardworking and unassuming people.

They arrived here with 3 suitcases and 3 backpacks -- their entire life fit comfortably in the back of a minivan. Until the federal government fixes a major flaw in the U4U program that brought them to Whispering Pines, they will not be able to legally work in the U.S.

When Our Saviour learned about this refugee family from Ukraine that landed in Moore County we knew we needed to help. A check for $2500 from our Discretionary Fund was delivered for this family.

The Discretionary Fund is supported by donations from our congregation allowing us to help the Bandura family and 80+ neighbors in financial crisis during 2021. Our gifts kept lights on and water running.

The Discretionary Fund is only one example of how Our Saviour’s generosity allows us to continue our mission to Activate God’s Kingdom and make a difference in our community.
Thank you and thanks be to God who gives us all that we have.

In June 2022, the North Carolina Synod (our state-wide network of ELCA Lutheran churches) joined together at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory for the first-ever Synod Gathering.

After a season of remote and digital gatherings, it was powerful to be together in one place again.

Watch this short video for a recap of what took place:

Hello Our Saviour Family!

We want to invite you to a new and exciting opportunity we are making available at Our Saviour! Starting next Wednesday, August 31st we will be providing people of all ages food and fellowship EVERY Wednesday starting at 5:15 to 7:00 through the year!
To launch this new opportunity, our first gathering will feature a pulled pork cook-off and side dishes (please pre-register here). Following the meal, there will be a presentation and discussion of the fall program. Wednesday nights will focus on Fellowship, Education, and Music rehearsal for all ages.

Weekly Schedule

• 5:15 to 6:00 - Light supper in our Fellowship Hall
• 6:00 to 7:00 Programming for adults, youth, and children
  • Adults:
    • Several 4 to 6 week long studies rotating through the year.
    • Adult choir practice will take place the 2nd and 4th weeks of the month from 6:00 to 7:00pm. For those not joining the choir, the adult study group will continue meeting.
  • Children and Youth:
    • The children/youth will have alternating activities each week. Weeks 1 and 3 of a month we will offer an amazing opportunity to experience handbells just for children/youth with our council member and praise band member Simon Lussier! Weeks 2 and 4 they will have crafts and games based on the previous Sunday School lesson.
• 7:00 Adult Handbells practice

We know how busy families are during the week. We are hoping that an evening at church during the week will provide families a break from cooking dinner and a fun opportunity to build bonds with friends at church; especially for our children/youth.

Families are welcome to come just for dinner, just for the activities, or the whole evening. You may just want to come on weeks 1 and 3 to learn handbells! All are welcome and we hope you will consider making Wednesday at Church a part of your week!

Please plan to join us next Wednesday, August 31st at 5:15 to enjoy the pulled pork cook-off and learn more about all the activities we will be offering. Remember to register to let us know you're coming!

God Bless,
Peggy Benson, Doug Garrell, and the Growth in Christ Team

Take some time to get away to reconnect with nature, with one another, and to relieve stress and refresh your spirit. Go to Camp Agapé (an Our Saviour mission partner) with your family or friends to enjoy one of their special retreats or events this fall.

Download the Fall 2022 flyer here.

Some highlights: 

• Labor Day Family Camp
• Father ~ Son Retreat
• Race for ACE 5K
• O' Holy Night

Learn more about Camp Agapé on their website: https://agapekurebeach.org/

Written by: Patty Peeples

Sewing Camp was held at Our Saviour the first week of August 2022 for third thru sixth graders. They learned to sew on machines and use an iron.

The week included projects they made for themselves, and projects they made for others. They made pillowcases to take home as well as hair scrunchies and kitchen towels.

They also made dog beds for the animal shelter and walker bags for First Health Hospital.

A special thank you to the parents of the sewing campers for sharing your children with us for the week!

It was a great week made possible by these dedicated leaders: Evie Brassie, Carol Bruno, Jean Horman, Cindy Novesel, Patty Peeples, Susie Stanislawek and Sandy Zimmer.